The corrupted humanoids moved together like a single organism.
No hesitation.
No wasted motion.
The moment the voice beneath the structure ordered Ayan brought below, every creature on the cliffside advanced simultaneously through the crimson glow surrounding the underground entrance.
And behind them—
More footsteps echoed upward endlessly from the darkness beneath the world.
Hundreds.
Maybe more.
The silver-ranked adventurers immediately tightened formation.
The shield user stepped to the front despite his injuries, broken armor hanging loosely from one shoulder while blood still dripped from the corner of his mouth. The mage stood behind him preparing another barrier spell with trembling hands, while the red-haired archer climbed onto one of the shattered stone pillars for elevation.
The spear wielder glanced sharply toward Ayan.
"…Kid."
Ayan looked toward him briefly.
The man's gray eyes remained steady despite the tension surrounding them.
"…I don't know what the hell is happening here."
He tightened his grip around the spear.
"…But those things want you alive."
Ayan's expression hardened slightly.
"…Yeah. I noticed."
The dual-blade fighter slowly forced himself upright nearby despite the massive wound across his side.
"…Then that's our advantage."
Ayan blinked once.
Interesting.
Even now—
These adventurers were still thinking strategically.
The spear wielder nodded once.
"They'll hesitate to kill you."
His eyes shifted toward the approaching corrupted humanoids.
"…Which means we use that opening and force our way out."
Ayan's thoughts moved quickly.
Escape.
Honestly—
That should have been the obvious decision.
The pressure rising from below the structure had already surpassed anything he had faced before. Staying here meant eventually confronting whatever existed beneath Sector Seven directly.
And right now—
He definitely wasn't ready for that.
But then—
His gaze drifted briefly toward the underground entrance again.
The crimson light pulsed softly.
Waiting.
The memory fragment at his side throbbed faintly.
And somewhere deep in his chest—
Curiosity remained.
Dangerous curiosity.
Because beneath that structure existed answers.
About Earth.
About the previous anomaly.
About why the network recognized him.
About why Aelira once smiled beside someone who eventually disappeared.
Aelira stepped beside him quietly.
"…Do not even consider it."
Ayan glanced toward her immediately.
"…You read minds now too?"
Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Your expression becomes obvious when you think something reckless."
Ayan sighed softly.
Fair enough.
The ground suddenly trembled harder.
Then the first wave attacked.
The corrupted humanoids surged across the cliffside together, elongated limbs and black tendrils tearing through the crimson-lit battlefield as distorted whispers echoed from every direction.
The shield user slammed his broken shield downward.
"NOW!"
BOOOOM.
The mage's prepared barrier exploded outward violently, knocking back the advancing humanoids for a brief opening.
The archer immediately fired three explosive arrows into the crowd.
CRASH.
Several creatures lost their heads instantly while the dual-blade fighter cut through another group moving toward the flank.
Ayan moved too.
Fast.
His sword flashed through the battlefield as he targeted heads directly now, slicing through unstable skulls before the creatures could fully regenerate.
One humanoid lunged toward him—
SLASH.
Its head separated cleanly.
Another emerged from the side—
Ayan pivoted instantly and drove his blade through its jaw before kicking the collapsing body backward into two more approaching creatures.
But despite their efforts—
The humanoids kept coming.
Too many.
And worse—
The newer ones climbing from below moved smarter.
More coordinated.
Less animalistic.
The network was adapting again.
Ayan's eyes sharpened.
"…They're learning."
The crimson-eyed man remained standing near the underground entrance watching the battle calmly.
Not participating.
Observing.
Like he already knew the outcome.
Aelira noticed immediately.
Then vanished.
BOOOOM.
Crimson energy exploded across the cliffside as she appeared directly in front of the crimson-eyed man, her attack tearing through the stone beneath him violently.
But this time—
He was ready.
Black metallic structures erupted from his arms instantly, intercepting her strike while crimson lines spread across his body brighter than before.
The collision distorted the surrounding air violently.
Ayan's chest tightened.
Even from a distance—
Their clash felt overwhelming.
The crimson-eyed man blocked another attack before speaking quietly.
"…You continue delaying inevitability."
Aelira's expression remained cold.
"…You mistake obsession for inevitability."
The man's glowing eyes narrowed faintly.
"…And you mistake attachment for hope."
BOOOOM.
Another shockwave exploded outward from their clash.
Meanwhile the corrupted humanoids began surrounding the adventurers completely.
The mage's barriers cracked continuously now.
The shield user could barely stand.
The dual-blade fighter's movements slowed from blood loss.
And the footsteps rising from below only grew louder.
Ayan's thoughts raced rapidly.
They couldn't hold this position much longer.
Then suddenly—
The crystal at his side pulsed again.
Hard.
Ayan froze briefly.
A faint crimson line appeared across the ground beneath his feet.
Then another.
His eyes widened slightly.
Not corruption.
A pathway.
The lines extended directly toward the underground entrance.
Toward the darkness below.
And for some reason—
The surrounding humanoids hesitated near the glowing path.
Ayan's heartbeat slowed.
The network was guiding him.
The realization felt deeply wrong.
Aelira noticed immediately.
"…Do not follow it."
Her voice sharpened instantly.
But the crimson-eyed man looked genuinely surprised for the first time.
"…Impossible…"
His gaze fixed on the glowing pathway.
"…Direct invitation?"
The surrounding humanoids slowly backed away from the crimson line spreading across the cliffside.
Not fear.
Obedience.
The pressure from below intensified softly again.
Then the voice beneath Sector Seven echoed upward one more time.
"…Bring him to me."
The pathway illuminated brighter.
Ayan stared silently toward the darkness below the underground structure.
Because now—
The network itself had opened the way forward.
And somehow—
Part of him already knew.
If he entered that place—
Nothing would ever remain simple again.